Compassion fatigue: The real emergency paramedics face

Paramedics are regularly exposed to traumatic events, yet are expected to demonstrate empathy, compassion and clinical skill during every patient interaction.This can cause compassion fatigue which can lead to decreased compassion for patients and serious psychological and physical outcomes for clinicians.This comes at a high personal and financial cost for both the ambulance sector and the clinicians and individuals with sensory processing sensitivity who may be at greater risk of developing compassion fatigue due to their heightened responsiveness to environments.To address the research question 'Are paramedics looking after themselves, while they look after their patients?'international research from a range of fields was reviewed, including paramedicine, nursing, psychology and medicine.Job satisfaction, education and frequent monitoring of practitioners' mental health were identified as key protectors against compassion fatigue, with both ambulance management and clinicians playing an essential role in maintaining healthy work environments.Recovery from compassion fatigue includes maintaining a healthy work/life balance, and prioritising relational, mental, physical and spiritual health.Although no statistics are currently available for Aotearoa New Zealand's ambulance services, similarities to international work environments and anecdotal evidence suggest that many ambulance officers in Aotearoa may be impacted by compassion fatigue.